The Dad Pact: Gestures For A Friend That Just Became A Dad

Don't Be That Guy: 10 Ways To Stay Best Friends After He Has a Kid

Father’s Day is coming up, and for a lot of guys under, say, the age of 35, that doesn’t me a whole lot more than scrambling at the 11th hour to see which products on Amazon Prime dad might like. However, the day will come for everyone when all of a sudden one of your friends is a dad, and Father’s Day takes on a new meaning. In this feature, we look at 10 of the activities you should do with the new dad in your life. Whether it’s Father’s Day or not, sometimes the smallest gestures can mean the most.

Take Him To A Driving Range

Golf has served as a quiet respite for men for over a century, but getting a foursome together for several hours can be a tall order for a new dad. He may not have time to play 18 or even 9 holes, but he’s got 30 minutes to beat balls and let off steam. It’s the perfect place, whether he needs to vent frustrations or just wants to enjoy the sunshine. If you want more structured time, set up some accuracy games for a small wager — just be sure to let him win, so he feels like he’s still got it.

Go To The Movies

A dark space where phone use isn’t allowed and there are (hopefully) no babies crying would be paradise — good luck finding a place like that with a newborn in the house. The movies are (relatively) cheap, accessible and there’s almost always something playing. Moviegoing tends to take a backseat once we hit our stride in adulthood, and even more so with an expanded family. Let him grab the tickets and you can get the popcorn.

Grab A Dewar's After Work

Most new parents will tell you that their social life starts to circle the drain the moment they bring home their bouncing bundle. It’s not just the time or energy, but the stress — time spent away from home means the to-do list gets more and more backed up, making it hard to enjoy yourself. Offer to grab a few drinks immediately after work, and be a cool guy and offer to drive so he can tie one on. He’s earned it. Since it’s a special event, why not celebrate with Dewar's?

Invite Him To Watch The Game At Your Place

He’d love just a few hours where he can sit around, stare at the TV and shoot the breeze with friends without double-checking the baby monitor. While the days of meeting the guys at a local bar to watch games and drink beer all day may be on hold for the next decade or so, that social interaction and feeling of normalcy is important. You can create a sufficient atmosphere at your place with a nice TV and a few 6-packs on ice.

But Also, Offer To Watch The Game At His Place

On the other hand, while it’s true that he craves social interaction, his family needs him. Maybe three hours away from home just aren’t feasible right now. While it may seem intrusive, asking if you can tune in at his place is actually a gracious way to remind him that he has people who care about him, and his new family members are welcome as well. You can tolerate the rugrat for a few hours, and it’s unlikely they’d ask you to interact with it (new babies can’t even talk, anyway).

Help Babyproof His House

It’s important to secure the home before his critter becomes mobile. Ideally, expecting parents would have this done well in advance, but cut them some slack — planning for a baby is like planning for a wedding, only the reception lasts more than 18 years. Things are bound to be overlooked, and there are no nellies more nervous than two parents who just brought home their first kid. An extra set of hands installing outlet covers makes it go by faster, and he’ll appreciate the extra set of eyes to catch anything he may have missed.

Go Out For Dinner

A lot changes when you bring a kid home. In some households, the wife may be the one doing all of the cooking, but popping out the continuance of your genetic code can change that in a hurry. With a new baby, he may have taken over chef duties at home, and depending on the guy it may be new to him. If he’s trying in good faith to keep the new mother fed and happy, he’s going to be stressed out. Let someone cook for him, for a change, and he can bring home leftovers to mom.

Help Him Finish The Kid’s Room

Most new parents, for reasons involving both love and a concern for the infant’s safety, opt to sleep as near to the baby as possible at first. The problem is, having the crib in the master bedroom is cute for about a week. The kid’s still gonna wake them up, but it helps to work in shifts if they aren’t right on top of you. The tyke will need a space sooner rather than later, so help the new dad get things set up — clean out the space, get the walls painted, finish the closet, etc.

Test Drive A Sports Car

Not all parents immediately go the minivan route, but that two-seater he was eyeing will probably have to wait until the kid’s grown. It’s not that sportier models are necessarily impractical right now — a car seat can fit just about anywhere, after all — but with the budget-tightening that comes with a new family member, most parents want something that can grow with their family. To remind him that he’s still a man who appreciates manly things, find the most obnoxiously performance-oriented car for sale in your area, and let him get a taste of what he’s missing.

Go To A Live Sporting Event

There’s a difference between sports on TV and sports in person. One is something you watch, the other is something you do — the smells, the sounds on the field and the roar of the crowd all contribute to the experience. The best part is, despite all of that energy, it still doesn’t require much on your part. Get cheap tickets, have a few beers and do nothing for a while. You could be attending a minor league women’s hockey game, for all the difference it makes.